- A
Azure Synapse Analytics
Correct. Azure Synapse Analytics provides a unified platform for streaming ingestion (via pipelines), batch data in Data Lake, and T-SQL querying over both hot and cold data using serverless SQL pools. It supports near real-time dashboards and historical analysis.
- B
Azure Stream Analytics
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Stream Analytics is designed for real-time stream processing only. It can output to sinks like Data Lake, but cannot directly query historical batch data or combine both in a single query for dashboards.
- C
Azure Data Factory
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Data Factory is a data integration and orchestration service, not a query engine. It can move and transform data but cannot run ad-hoc T-SQL queries on the data lake for dashboards.
- D
Azure Databricks
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Databricks is a powerful analytics platform based on Apache Spark, but its primary query language is Spark SQL (or Python/Scala), not T-SQL. It also requires more manual setup for streaming and batch integration compared to Synapse.
DP-900 Describe an analytics workload on Azure Practice Question
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe an analytics workload on azure. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A logistics company receives real-time GPS tracking data from its delivery fleet via Azure Event Hubs. The data is a continuous stream of location updates (vehicle ID, latitude, longitude, timestamp). Additionally, the company has daily static route plan files in CSV format stored in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. The operations team needs to combine the live GPS stream with the route plans to create a near real-time dashboard showing if delivery vehicles are on schedule. They also want to run historical queries on both the stream data and route plans using T-SQL, without moving the data to another store. Which Azure service should they use as the primary analytics platform?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Analytics is the correct choice because it provides a unified analytics platform that can ingest real-time streaming data from Azure Event Hubs and combine it with static data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. It supports T-SQL queries directly against both the live stream (via Synapse Pipelines or SQL Serverless) and the CSV files in the lake, enabling near real-time dashboards and historical analysis without moving data to another store.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Azure Synapse Analytics
Why this is correct
Correct. Azure Synapse Analytics provides a unified platform for streaming ingestion (via pipelines), batch data in Data Lake, and T-SQL querying over both hot and cold data using serverless SQL pools. It supports near real-time dashboards and historical analysis.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Azure Stream Analytics
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Stream Analytics is designed for real-time stream processing only. It can output to sinks like Data Lake, but cannot directly query historical batch data or combine both in a single query for dashboards.
- ✗
Azure Data Factory
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Data Factory is a data integration and orchestration service, not a query engine. It can move and transform data but cannot run ad-hoc T-SQL queries on the data lake for dashboards.
- ✗
Azure Databricks
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Databricks is a powerful analytics platform based on Apache Spark, but its primary query language is Spark SQL (or Python/Scala), not T-SQL. It also requires more manual setup for streaming and batch integration compared to Synapse.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Stream Analytics as the primary analytics platform because it handles real-time streams, but they overlook the requirement for T-SQL-based historical queries on stored data, which only Azure Synapse Analytics supports natively without moving data.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Incorrect. Azure Stream Analytics is designed for real-time stream processing only. It can output to sinks like Data Lake, but cannot directly query historical batch data or combine both in a single query for dashboards.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Synapse Analytics unifies big data and data warehousing by providing a single service with both serverless SQL pools (for querying data lakes) and dedicated SQL pools (for high-performance warehousing). It can directly query CSV files in Data Lake Storage Gen2 using OPENROWSET or external tables, and it can ingest real-time Event Hubs data via Synapse Pipelines or the built-in streaming integration, enabling a unified T-SQL query surface across both live and static data. This eliminates the need for separate ETL processes or data duplication, which is critical for near real-time operational dashboards.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-900 question test?
Describe an analytics workload on Azure — This question tests Describe an analytics workload on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Synapse Analytics — Azure Synapse Analytics is the correct choice because it provides a unified analytics platform that can ingest real-time streaming data from Azure Event Hubs and combine it with static data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. It supports T-SQL queries directly against both the live stream (via Synapse Pipelines or SQL Serverless) and the CSV files in the lake, enabling near real-time dashboards and historical analysis without moving data to another store.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DP-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DP-900 exam.
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